Announcing the 2017 VTKW Global Challenge Virtual Preliminary

VT KnowledgeWorks presents the third annual Global Challenge Virtual Preliminary, where university teams from anywhere outside the U.S. have the opportunity to test the strategic essence of their business concept for a chance to compete on a world stage next August at the VT KnowledgeWorks Global Student Entrepreneurship Challenge. The Virtual Preliminary celebrates the energy and creativity of university students and their important contributions to the global economy, while encouraging them to develop their entrepreneurial ideas.

Preliminary contestants compete to earn up to $5,000 in air travel reimbursement to attend the VT KnowledgeWorks Global Student Entrepreneurship Challenge finals, August 17-26, 2017. The August finals begins with a two-day trip to Washington D.C., where student teams will sightsee at museums and monuments, participate in private tours, and enjoy celebratory meals. The group then travels to Roanoke and Blacksburg, Virginia, August 19-26, where the winning team of the Virtual Preliminary will compete against other student teams from around the world for the $25,000 grand prize and VT KnowledgeWorks trophy. During this week-long celebration of entrepreneurship in the Roanoke-Blacksburg region, students are housed with local families, spend interactive time with successful technology companies, and enjoy fellowship with each other and with Virginia Tech students during festive meals and social gatherings.

For more information on the eligibility requirements, rules, and guidelines for the preliminary, go to http://www.vtkwglobal.com/2017/prelim. The first deadline requires institutions to submit an “intent to support” online registration by midnight EDT of March 3, 2017, committing that at least one student team from their university will participate in the Global Challenge Virtual Preliminary. Registration is free. After submissions are received, institutions will receive an electronic participation package of helpful resources to help teams maximize their chances of winning. Student teams will then submit a one-page summary of the business concept by following the one-page submission guidelines by midnight EDT of March 31, 2017.

For more information contact Jim Flowers, Executive Director of VT KnowledgeWorks, at 540-443-9100, extension 1 or at [email protected].

VT KnowledgeWorks encourages and enables creative entrepreneurship world-wide, through innovative curriculum, local business resource centers, and a global network of cooperating regions, all focused on three essential contributors to success: clear understanding of fundamental business principles, access to timely, relevant information, and meaningful personal and corporate relationships. It is a subsidiary of the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, supported by the continuing confidence and enthusiasm of its clients, sponsors and friends, both corporate and individual. Its world headquarters are in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.